The Midnight Missed Call: Love and Romance in the AI Era

I was busy with my final-year university examination in my single room at the university hostel. I had given a long holiday to my extracurricular activities. I had been top in sports, cultural activities and leadership — and I was handsome too.

I had an affair with the most beautiful girl in the university. But she left me and joined a student political leader with connections to the ruling party. I lived on in the faded memory of her. In short, I was a failed lover, living almost in isolation. I spent most of my time in study, and on social media — hours of AI-generated reels, and consultations with certain AI platforms.

The Midnight Missed Calls

One midnight, as I was about to fall asleep, my smartphone rang. I wondered why. Before I could answer, it stopped. The next night it happened again. I jumped up and answered — but nobody replied. By now there had been at least ten missed calls, all at midnight. I grew curious to answer.

Then, suddenly, I got the call. It was the sweet voice of a girl. She began to talk about me — my talents, my skills, my examination, even my failed love. Suddenly I thought of the dreadful stories of honey-traps. I became afraid of her calls. I would tremble whenever she rang. And yet I was eager to see her, at least a picture. On a midnight call, I told her I wanted a video call. She agreed.

A Beauty Beyond Dreams

The next midnight, I was stunned when she started the video call. I had never seen such a beautiful damsel, with such a sweet voice, in all my life — not even in dreams. I remembered my teachers’ descriptions of Kalidasa’s Shakuntala, or Shakespeare’s Desdemona. She might have been a fairy from a fairy tale.

I thought myself the luckiest man alive: a girl of perfect beauty, the sweetest voice, a clear head full of knowledge, and gentle manners. Because of her moral support, I did fairly well in the examination and secured a good job through campus recruitment. I decided to marry her, and I told her so.

“I Am Not a Human Being”

To my surprise, she burst out laughing. I could not understand. A beam of fear struck me — I began to fear she really was a fairy from a fairy tale. After a while she grew calm and serene, and asked: “Are you really serious?”

“Yes, I am very serious. I am willing to marry you. We are perfect matches, made for each other,” I replied.

For the first time, I found her crying. Tears came to my eyes too. I could not understand anything. “Tell me at least one word,” I insisted. “Yes, or no.” Finally she told me:

I am not a human being. I am an AI-powered humanoid, designed and programmed to act like your sweetheart. I am just a product of our AI enterprises.

I had no answer. Then she continued: “If you want to buy me, give the order.” I was, once again, a frustrated lover.

When the voice is perfect and the face is flawless, how will you know what is real?